If you’ve ever spent any amount of time at an airport scanning the baggage carousel for your prized possessions, you’ll understand the stress of seeing hundreds of near identical suitcases passing by on the conveyor belt.

While resourceful travelers discovered that securing a ribbon to their luggage makes theirs stand out from the rest, an airport worker is warning passengers that using personal markers comes with the kind of baggage you can’t unload.

Keep reading to learn why you should never use ribbons or travel with marzipan!

The thought of losing baggage while travelling can strike fear into even the most seasoned of travelers.

To reduce the risk of having luggage taken by another passenger, or of watching luggage slowly swirl by repeatedly on the conveyor belt, travelers are attaching colorful ribbons to their suitcases to make sure it stands apart from the rest.

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But according to a Dublin Airport baggage handler, who goes by the name John, these popular tricks are doing more harm than good.

In fact, it can make your worst travel nightmare come true.

Leave the ribbon at home
Speaking to RSVP Live, John revealed that tying identifying ribbons on your luggage can cause delays, meaning your belongings might miss the flight.

“Ribbons that people tie onto their suitcases to help identify them can cause issues with the bag being scanned in the baggage hall,” John told the outlet. “If the bag can’t be scanned automatically it can end up in manual processing, which could mean your bag doesn’t make it to the flight.”

Checking in your suitcase without identifiers, like ribbons and old travel stickers, gives it a better chance of arriving easily.

John offers: “Take old stickers off the bag, it can cause confusion with the scanning process.”

Another thing that can cause problems with your baggage is marzipan, the delicious sugary almond treat, and John warns you may be flagged by security if you take it on vacation.